Beverages may be purchased in a variety of containers, such as bottles, cups, and aluminum cans. Such beverage containers typically have an opening or aperture sufficient to allow the beverage to pass therethrough with no difficulty, and, as such, are prone to accidental spillage if inadvertently tipped over.
Several devices exist to prevent accidental spillage from such containers. For example, a simple flexible cap for bottles is available that is simply pressed down over the spout of a bottle. This device prevents spillage, and has an added benefit of maintaining an air-tight seal within the bottle to help keep a carbonated beverage sufficiently carbonated. However, a drawback to this device is that a person cannot drink from the bottle when the device is being used, making the device somewhat inconvenient.
Another non-spill device is in the form of a container and container cover that only allows liquid to pass through fluid ports in the container cover if the device is in a horizontal orientation. The goal of this invention is to provide a container that will not allow liquid to escape therefrom when vertically shaken or jostled. Clearly, however, when the container is inadvertently tipped onto its side the contents are spilled. Consequently this device does not provide adequate non-spill protection for drinking containers.
Another device in the form of a flexible cover for a drinking cup fits over the rim of the cup. When a person's upper lip is pressed against a flexible flap of the cover, the flap is forced away from an opening in the cover, thereby providing a path through which liquid may leave the drinking cup. This invention does not completely prevent spillage, however, as the opening in the cover is slightly larger than the flexible flap since it is formed from the same flexible sheet. Further, some people do not wish their lips to come into contact with the flexible flap, as their lips are sensitive or have cosmetics applied thereon, and the like. This device does not provide an easy method of removing the flexible flap. In addition, the device is designed for use with open ended drinking cups, and will not fit onto nor function properly with aluminum cans.
A considerable number of beverages are sold in aluminum cans throughout the world every day. Yet, an adequate non-spill device for such cans is not available. Clearly there is a need for a simple, yet effective, non-spill device for an aluminum can that allows the user to drink from the can while the device is in place, and further provides an easy method of eliminating contact between the device and a person's lips, if desired. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.